TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Even as activities at massage parlours have come under the scanner of citizens and law enforcing agencies, the decision of the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) to grant permission to a Colva hotel for spa and massage parlour without the Colva panchayat’s nod has stirred a hornet’s nest in the village.
In fact, the Colva panchayat is bracing up for a battle against the health services for issuing permission to the hotel without the mandatory trade license.
The panchayat has dispatched a second notice asking to show cause why the spa and massage parlour should not be closed down for want of permission. And, the panchayat has also decided to write a letter to the health services stating that they cannot grant permission for the spa and massage parlour without the panchayat’s nod.
Sarpanch Snowkon Gonsalves says the operation of the spa and massage parlour in the hotel was brought to the notice of the panchayat by a panch member at one of the meetings. “The panchayat decided to act after the panch member alleged that local boys are paid Rs 500 for bringing customers to the spa. Accordingly, the panchayat issued a on the hotel a show cause notice on why the activity should not be shut down. To our shock and surprise, the hotel replied that they have obtained permission from the Directorate of Health Services to conduct the activity”, Snowkon said.
The agitated sarpanch demanded to know how a spa or massage parlour can operate without the mandatory trade license from the panchayat body. “We have now sent the hoteal a second notice to stop the activity for want of a trade license and will initiate action as per the rules”, he said.
Incidentally, the Colva sarpanch said the panchayat would also petition Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar seeking his intervention in the matter. “We will tell the chief minister that the health services cannot usurp powers of local self government bodies on the question of trade license. Besides, there are a host of questions that ought to be looked into before granting the permission”, he said, while saying that the health services ought to have been extra cautious in view of the allegations of massage parlours being misused for prostitution”, he added.
